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A Puggle is a cross between a Pug and a Beagle. While we at Dogster laugh at the idea of a “designer dog,” we have to admit that this particular mix is popular enough to deserve a profile all its own. In fact, every Thursday we’ll be profiling popular mix-up pups like the Puggle — see last week’s Labradoodle write-up, for example. And now, let’s talk Puggles:

What Puggle Dogs Are Like to Live With

Puggles show characteristics from both the Beagle parent and the Pug parent, sometimes more one than the other. They tend to be active dogs who need plenty of walks — but you should be prepared to say “Heel!” often, as their hound heritage will make them pick up many scents along the way. Puggles are extremely loving companions and are good with families. They have a good sense of humor, perhaps because of their somewhat comical faces.

Puggles have a low-maintenance coat and require little grooming. Their ears and eyes do need to be cleaned frequently. They are happy in an apartment as long as they get their walks and tend to get along with strangers and other animals.

Things You Should Know About the Puggle

Puggles are adaptable dogs but turn up their stubby noses at training. They can also be big barkers, inherited from their Beagle side. Starting obedience training as early as possible and practicing with them often will help.

Puggles have become very popular very quickly, which means checking out breeders thoroughly before purchasing one. But it also means Puggle rescue groups can be found, unlike many other hybrids. Though it helps to have a puppy you can mold, Puggles are very intelligent, and older dogs can be trained.

Like many crossbreeds and mixed breeds, Puggles tend to be healthier than their purebred parents. They can have a disorder called cherry eye, where the third eyelid becomes visible, and may inherit the Pug’s tendency to reverse-sneeze, an annoying but not dangerous disorder. Puggles may also suffer from epilepsy. They can have a long lifespan, up to around 15 years.

Puggle History: Fast Facts

It is thought the first Puggle was an accidental cross between a Beagle and a Pug in the late 1980s or early 1990s. Wisconsin breeder Wallace Haven named the cross and introduced it to the American Canine Hybrid Club.

The Puggle’s ancestor, the Beagle, was developed in England perhaps as far back as the 13th century. Beagles were bred to hunt rabbits and the English Beagle and an American Southern hound created the American version of the Beagle in the 1860s.

The Puggle’s other ancestor, the Pug, is an even older breed, beginning around 400 B.C. The dogs were first known in China where they were pets of Tibetan monks, perhaps an explanation for the Puggle’s wise expression.

The Look of the Puggle

Puggles can range quite a bit in weight, depending on how much Pug and how much Beagle emerges. They tend to be between 18 and 30 pounds. The colors vary, but typically a Puggle has a light tan coat with folded ears and a black muzzle.

These small dogs have faces with character, slightly wrinkled and wizened. They tend to have the large, liquid Beagle eyes and a snout shortened by the Pug. To look into a Puggle’s face is to see a bit of Buddha.

Quick Facts About Puggles

Puggles weigh 18 to 30 pounds and stand 13 to 15 inches tall.

They have a long lifespan, up to 15 years.

Ideal human companions include apartment dwellers, families with children of any age, people with other pets, moderate exercisers, and owners with a sense of humor.

Trademark traits include that short black snout, wrinkled forehead, wise expression, affectionate nature, and their love of laps.

Dogster readers: Do you have a Puggle in your life? Tell us what they’re like to live with.